Highlights
- Delhi court grants bail to Sharjeel Imam in Jamia violence case
- Bail granted on the issue of nature of crime and non-arrest during investigation
- Sharjeel is an accused in three other cases, he will spend days in jail.
A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam in a case related to the alleged violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University in December 2019. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dinesh Kumar granted him bail on a surety of Rs 25,000 and one surety of like amount.
Sharjeel Imam is an accused in three other cases
The judge said in the order that having regard to the nature of the offense and the fact that [जमानत] Application is allowed that he was not arrested during the investigation. In December 2019, there was an incident of violence in the university during the students’ protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act i.e. CAA. However, Imam will have to remain in jail for the time being as he is an accused in three other cases related to the violence in Delhi.
Case of inciting speech and inciting violence
In October, the court had refused bail to Imam for allegedly making inflammatory speeches and inciting violence during the CAA-NRC protests in 2019. The court had said that the right to free speech cannot be exercised at the cost of communal harmony and harmony.
Accused of being the mastermind of Delhi riots
Apart from this case, Imam is also accused of “masterminding” the February 2020 riots in which 53 people were killed and over 700 were injured. A case has been registered against him under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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